Jerry had only one friend. Sea.
He lived with his parents and two sisters in a small and shabby village. They had a small temporary accommodation by the sea, made out of mud walls and coconut leaves shed for the roof.
Gazing the sea whole through the day was what kept Jerry busy. He knew every thing about that stretch of the sea. He knew how high waves reaches during full moon night. He knew which seasons are not safe for swimming. And, only he knew when fishes come to the shore. Crabs, Jelly fishes and star fishes were his toys.
He learned the various color changes, the sky go through in due course of the day and its reflection in the sea. The pastel shades of orange, red, yellow and patterns of clouds mesmerized him. He could spend days after days sitting by the coconut tree and glancing the sea. He talked everything with the sands, sea breezes and shells.
One such day, Jerry after his school, came straight to his favorite coconut tree. Dumped his bag, and created a virtual seat in the sand. He took out few peanuts from his back-pocket and started munching them while glancing the distant ship in the sea.
Bunch of kids were throwing big balls in the sea and few were merely taking strolls holding parent's hand. Most of them were visitors, staying in nearby resorts. Some getting drenched, some splashing waters on face. There was girl in lovely yellow frock jumping along the shore. A boy almost of Jerry's age was running towards the sea, his father calling him to came back.
Munching peanuts, while the sun sets was a regular adventure for Jerry. He often took nap imagining to be sailor some day. He would have fall asleep, had that scream not woke him up.
"Help...Help" a loud voice of a man came to him from a distance. To Jerry's dismay he was same man whose voice he heard sometime back.
He got up, dusting the sands out of his grey pants and ran towards the man.
"What happened? " asked Jerry.
"My son is drowning.. Help please" came the frantic voice.
Jerry had always witnessed the sea from a distance, though he was well aware of the tides and ebbs of the sea , he never really swam miles across. But he have time to think of his own ability, he have to jump and save the drowning kid, he felt.
He immediately plunged into sea, barely managed to locate the kid amidst high waves. After few awkward moves, high efforts, thumping effortlessly in middle of the sea, Jerry managed to grab him.
After an hour of tiresome effort, Jerry saved the kid.
It took quite some time to push the water out from the lungs of the kid and made him feel somewhat normal.
Kid's father hugged Jerry and couldn't thanked him enough. He eyes could only said it all.
Jerry also took sometime to believe what he actually did. He was still not believing it.
"What you want, my boy. I can trade my life " , asked kid's father almost pleading.
"Nothing.. I just did because that's what felt right that moment." replied Jerry.
"You don't have to tell me that, still I will be glad if I can make you happy. Please give me that chance" Father insisted.
Jerry cleaned his sand face, took a deep sigh and look at the sea again. He thought for a while and replied "I had seen this sea for ages, I know how it look by all angles and seasons. Though I have never seen it from the top. I'll like to see that one day."
Father knew what he have to do now. He went to Jerry's home , told the entire saga of Jerry's bravery to his parents. Thanked them and asked their permission to take Jerry with them for few days to their place in Mumbai. Jerry's parent agreed, almost immediately.
Then came the day, when Jerry boarded the plane to Mumbai. As the plane took off, few moments later he could see everything from an altitude. Sea looked beautiful from above. Blue patch it was. Coconut trees joined hands by the shore.
As the plane went higher, Jerry kept munching his peanuts and watched the sea became smaller.
He lived with his parents and two sisters in a small and shabby village. They had a small temporary accommodation by the sea, made out of mud walls and coconut leaves shed for the roof.
Gazing the sea whole through the day was what kept Jerry busy. He knew every thing about that stretch of the sea. He knew how high waves reaches during full moon night. He knew which seasons are not safe for swimming. And, only he knew when fishes come to the shore. Crabs, Jelly fishes and star fishes were his toys.
He learned the various color changes, the sky go through in due course of the day and its reflection in the sea. The pastel shades of orange, red, yellow and patterns of clouds mesmerized him. He could spend days after days sitting by the coconut tree and glancing the sea. He talked everything with the sands, sea breezes and shells.
One such day, Jerry after his school, came straight to his favorite coconut tree. Dumped his bag, and created a virtual seat in the sand. He took out few peanuts from his back-pocket and started munching them while glancing the distant ship in the sea.
Bunch of kids were throwing big balls in the sea and few were merely taking strolls holding parent's hand. Most of them were visitors, staying in nearby resorts. Some getting drenched, some splashing waters on face. There was girl in lovely yellow frock jumping along the shore. A boy almost of Jerry's age was running towards the sea, his father calling him to came back.
Munching peanuts, while the sun sets was a regular adventure for Jerry. He often took nap imagining to be sailor some day. He would have fall asleep, had that scream not woke him up.
"Help...Help" a loud voice of a man came to him from a distance. To Jerry's dismay he was same man whose voice he heard sometime back.
He got up, dusting the sands out of his grey pants and ran towards the man.
"What happened? " asked Jerry.
"My son is drowning.. Help please" came the frantic voice.
Jerry had always witnessed the sea from a distance, though he was well aware of the tides and ebbs of the sea , he never really swam miles across. But he have time to think of his own ability, he have to jump and save the drowning kid, he felt.
He immediately plunged into sea, barely managed to locate the kid amidst high waves. After few awkward moves, high efforts, thumping effortlessly in middle of the sea, Jerry managed to grab him.
After an hour of tiresome effort, Jerry saved the kid.
It took quite some time to push the water out from the lungs of the kid and made him feel somewhat normal.
Kid's father hugged Jerry and couldn't thanked him enough. He eyes could only said it all.
Jerry also took sometime to believe what he actually did. He was still not believing it.
"What you want, my boy. I can trade my life " , asked kid's father almost pleading.
"Nothing.. I just did because that's what felt right that moment." replied Jerry.
"You don't have to tell me that, still I will be glad if I can make you happy. Please give me that chance" Father insisted.
Jerry cleaned his sand face, took a deep sigh and look at the sea again. He thought for a while and replied "I had seen this sea for ages, I know how it look by all angles and seasons. Though I have never seen it from the top. I'll like to see that one day."
Father knew what he have to do now. He went to Jerry's home , told the entire saga of Jerry's bravery to his parents. Thanked them and asked their permission to take Jerry with them for few days to their place in Mumbai. Jerry's parent agreed, almost immediately.
Then came the day, when Jerry boarded the plane to Mumbai. As the plane took off, few moments later he could see everything from an altitude. Sea looked beautiful from above. Blue patch it was. Coconut trees joined hands by the shore.
As the plane went higher, Jerry kept munching his peanuts and watched the sea became smaller.
